Feed mechanism for gas producers



I. S. McCLlMON AND R. WETHERILL, JR.

FEED MECHAMSM FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED YEB 2% \919.

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J. S. McCLlMON AND R. WETHER|LL,JR.

FEED MECHANISM FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. IEHQv Patented Julie 21, 1921.

63 1E, 60 L I if:

rI'nvenfoisji @325 MM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY S. MGGLIMON AND ROBERT \VETHERILL, JR., 0]! CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE WELLMAN-SEAVER-MORGAN UOMPAN'Y, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPO- RATION 0F CHIC).

FEED MECHANISM FOR GAS-PRODUCERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11143 21, 1921.

Application filed February 24, 1919. Serial No. 278,715.

To all whom it 77211.;2 com-em: Be it known that we, JAY S. MoCLIMoN and Ronnn'r VVETHERILL, J r., citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Cleveland, in the county of (Juyahoga and State of Ohio, and Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and use ul Improve ment in Feed Mechanism for (ms-Producers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention, speaking generally, is to provide efiioient mechanism, which will act automatically, to periodically feed to a gas producer such measured charges of fuel as may be required for the continuous efiicient functioning of the produoer, and to do this without substantial loss of gas from the producer.

The invention consists in the construction shown inthe accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and pointed out defi- -'nitely in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view in the plane of line 3-3 on Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation.

The apparatus includes a four-sidcd chute which, as shown, is made up of an upper member 10 and a lower member 12. \Vhen the apparatus is in use the upper end of the upper member 10 is in open communication W1th a fuel bin, (not shown) and contains a column of fuel which is supported by a horizontal gate 20. This gate is supported on lugs or flanges 10 on the sides of the chute. It has a rack 21 on its lower side, and this is engaged by a gear segment 22 fixed to a rock shaft 23 which is mounted in bearings in the sides of the chute, and projects outside of the chute at one end, which projecting end carries an operating arm 21 to which power is applied, substantially as hero inafter specified, to rock said rock shn ft, and thereby cause the desired forward and barle wardsliding movement of the gate ill.

In Fig. 1 the gate is shown in its forward positoin, in which it stops the down How of the fuel; but when the gate is moved r9 1- ward some of the fuel will flow over the front end of said gate into fir. vimm rl' l below the gate,--the quantity o' lHi'l llllllff obviously d pendent upon [ho reurwnid movemeor i the g'. and the ime it remains away in position. The part of the chute below this gate 18:

from its forward fuel sustaininclined forward and downward and incloses a chamber 10 whose lower end is. closed by a cylindrical fuel valve 30. The cylindrical fuel valve contains one or more (preferably five) fuel pockets 31, the months 1 of \VlllCll are elon ated slots 32'in the cyi lindrica the ends of these pockets. The valve is provided on its ends with trunnions 35 that project out of the chute through holes in its sides. and are rotatably mounted in external chute member. The means for turning will be present 1 explained.

The lower chute member 12 has abase 14 through which is the fuel discharge 0 ening' 15. This base is to be'secured to the top of a gas producer, over an opening therethrough, whereby fuel discharged from the discharge opening 15 will pass directly into the producer. An upwardly extended flange 16 is formed around the margin of the opening 15, and serves two purposes, viz: it forms a guide tube for the fuel periodically discharged from the valve pockets; and it also forms the inner wall of a water seal trough 17.

10 represents a valve seat member having upon its upper surface a concave seat 41, which is fitted to and en ages the lower half, or slightly less than half of the cylindrical valve. Springs 45 yieldingly press this valve seat member against the valve. This valve seat member has an elongated discharge opening 43 through its bottom, and surrounding this opening is a downwardly extended tubular fiunre -14 which extends loosely into the upper end of the guide tub 16 of the lower ciute member.

periphera wall of the valve. Thai; valve cylinder has end plates 3? which close '1 K i e 70, bearings 36 which are fixed to the lower the valve operate upon one of these trunniohs, as

\l'hen one of the mouths 32 of (l valve pocket This water Sui in lu cs the trough Tlltlll from escup- 1-084:

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17 before referred to. and a tubular flange 48 which surrounds the llangc 44 and projects down from the valve seat member.

The valve seat member 4-! is for most part within the lower chute member. although its ends are. for convenience. extended out through holes in the sides of said chute member. Along the upper edges of the front and rear sides of the valve seat member are outwartllv extended flanges which lie with in the enlarged upper end of the lower chute member; and those rest upon coil springs 45. which in turn are seated on the outwardly extended flanges 18 of the lower chute member. ()utwardly extended flanges ll on the lower edges of the front and rear sides of the upper chute member rest upon the upper edges of the front and rear sides ,of the lower chute member. And the two chute members are connected by bolts 47 which likewise go through the springs 45 and keep them in operative position.

The valve 3) has as has been stated. lindrical trunnion 36 at each end. these a ratchet wheel 50 is fixed. rocking pawl plate 51 is mounted on this trunnion. and carries one or more rocking pawls 52 for engagement with the ratchet wheel.

A rocker ti l is mountco in brackets ll) carried by the chute member It]. This rocker has one arm til that is connected by link 53 with the rocking pawl plate 51. It has another arm 02 to which power is applied to rock the rocker. It has a third arm (33 which is eonnccted by a link (34 with the arm 24 before referred to. Speeifipally. the arm or; supports a screw F5 upon which a non-rotative nut (in is mounted; and the link ('14 is pivotally connected with this nut. Ilv turning the screw the nut is moved toward and from the axis of the rocker. and the movement of the gate 2 produced by a given rocking movement of the rocker is varied so that any desired quantity of fuel will be discharged into chamber 1t) during each reciprocation of the gate 20.

It will be understood that the rocker is to be continuously oscillated through a known path by suitable mechanism which may be like that shown in said prior application. The rocking movement of the. rocker will. through the described mechanism. cause the gate 20 to move forward and backward through a path which may be made. shorter or longer as required by the means which have been described.

The rocking of the rocke will oscillate the pawl plate 51 associated with valve 30 and thereby said valve will be turned intermittently through definite arcual A; the gate 20 moves rearward a certain controllable quantity of fuel will be. discharged into the chamber upon the valve 30. and this fuel will find its way into the valve pockets and will distribute itself with a cv- To one of l ikewisc praetical uniformil v therein ".u' step rotative mo euu-n of luv valve carry these pockets progrcssixclv int di charging relation with the discharge oped ing +3. through which the fuel charges will fall and go dii'cctl) into the producer as stated.

The engagement of the cylindri al -rrface. of the valve With the yielding seat member will provide an cll'cctual seal which will prevent any escape of gas from the producer. except such as may enter the emptied pockets. This apparatus. and especially the valve, and valve seat member. are within the influence of the hot gases and other products of coal distillation. These part will be expanded and contracted as their tempe ature varies. Among the products of the distillation of the coal will be vapors wh' -b may condense upon the seating surface of the valve seat member. Likewise the coal dust. may deposit upon this seating surface; and these deposits taken in connection with the expansion and contractioii of the parts referred to may sometimes make the turning of the valve difficult. But the .spring controlled movement of the valve seat member will enable it to automaticallv assume an operative position under all of these ucca sionallv arising difficult practical condil ions. and thereby the device will continue to op crate efficiently at all times.

Ilaving described our claim 1 1. In fuel feeding mechanism. the combination of a fuel chute. a rotatable cylindrical pocketed fuel valve therein. a valve sea member having a substantially semi-c vlin drical upper seating surface with which the lower part of said valve engages, which valve seat member has a. downwardly directed discharge opening through its seating surface: springs vieldingly pressing said \alve seat member up against said valve. and means t'o'impart step by step rotary motion to said cylindrical valve.

:3. in fuel feeding mechanism. the combination of a fuel chute. a rotatable c vli.|dri cal pocketed fucl valve therein. a valve seat member with which the lowe part of said valve engages. which valve seat member has a downwardly directed discharge opening th'ough its seating surface. a water seal surrounding said discharge opening. and springsyieldinglv pressing said valve sew member up against said valve.

3. in fuel feeding mechanism. the combination of a fuel chute. a rotatable c vlindri cal pocketed fuel valve therein and having trunnions at its ends, bearings outside of said chute in which said trunnions are rotatablv mounted, a valve seat member within said chute below said valve. which valve eat member has a downwardly directed dis charge opening through its seating surface,

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and springs yieldin ly pushing said valve seat member upward against said valve.

4. In fuel feeding mechanism, the combination of a fuel chute, a rotatable c liudrical pocketed fuel valve therein, a va ve seat member with which the lower part of said valve engages, which valve seat member has a downwardly directed discharge opening through its seating surface, and springs yiel-dingly pressing said valve seat member up against said valve, and means eriodically delivering measured charges of uel into the part of the chute above said fuel valve.

5. In fuel feeding mechanism, the combination of a fuel chute, a rotatable cylindrical pocketed valve therein, a valve seat member with which the lower part of said valve engages which valve seat member has a downwardly directed discharge opening through its seating surface, the. lower part of said chute below said valve seat member having a downwardly directed discharge opening and a water seal trough surrounding said discharge opening, andsaid valve seat member having around its discharge opening a downwardly extended continuous flange which projects into said water seal trough, and springs yieldingly pressing said valve seat member up against said valve.

6. In fuel feeding mechanism, the combination of a fuel chute. a rotatable cylindrical pocketed valve therein. a valve seat member with which the lower part of said valve engages which valve seat member has a downwardly directed discharge opening through its seating surface, the lower part of said chute below said valve seat member having a downwardly directed discharge opening and a water seal trough, surrounding said discharge opening, and said valve seat member having around its discharge opening a downwardly extended continuous flange which projects into said water seal trough, and said valve seat member having also around its discharge opening a flange whichv projects down into the discharge opening of the chute within said water seal trough.

7. In fuel feeding mechanism, the combination of a lower chute member having an enlarged upper end, an upper chute member v supported on the lower chute member and having along its front and rear edges outwardly projecting horizontal flanges which rest on the top of the lower chute member, a rotatable cylindrical pocketedfuel valve in said chute and provided with trunnions which project out of the chute, supporting bearings for said trunnions external to the chute, a valve. seat member located within the enlarged upper part of the lower chute mem bar which valve seat member is fitted to the lower part of the valve and has a downwardly directed dischar e opening through its seating surface an has outwardly projecting the extent of flanges along its front and rear edge springs which are seated on the lower chute member and engage beneath said flanges to yieldingly support said valve seat member.

8. In fuel feeding mechanism, the combination of a lower chute member having an enlarged upper end, an upper chute member supported on the lower chute member and having along its front and rear edges outwardly projecting horizontal flanges-which rest on the top of the lower chute member, a rotatable cylindrical pocketed fuel valve in said chute and provided with trunnions which project out of the chute, supporting bearings for said trunnions external to the chute, a valve seat member located within the enlarged upper part of the lower chute member which valve seat Hl8l'lll)GP,J: fitted to the lower part of the valve and has a downwardly directed discharge opening through its seating surface and has outwardly projecting flanges along its front and rear edges, springs which are seated on the lower chute member and engage beneath said flanges to yieldingly support said valve seat member, a water seal trough carried by the lower chute member, and a downwardly extended flange carried by the valve seat member surrounding the discharge opening therein and projecting into said water seal trough.

9. In fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, the combination of a chute, a pocketed fuel valve rotatably mounted withi said chute, a horizontal sliding gate in said chute above said valve, and means for imparting step by step arcual movement to said fuel valve and horizontal reciprocating movement to said gate.

10. In fuel feeding mechanism for gas producers, the combination of a chute, a pocketed fuel valve rotatably mounted within said chute, a horizontal sliding gate in said chute above said valve, and means for imparting step by step arcual movement to said fuel valve and horizontal reciprocating movement to said gate, and means to vary movement of said gate without varying the arena] movements of said valve.

11. In a fuel feeding mechanism, a chute, a valve provided with fuel receivingpock ets rotatably mounted in said chute, a movable fuel supporting plate located above the rotary valve in said chute and obstructin the free How of fuel to the rotary valve, an means for moving the supporting plate and rotating the valve in timed relation to each other whereby fuel in limited quantit ,Will fall from said plate to a pocket in t e rotar valve.

n testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures.

JAY S. MoCLIMON. ROBERT WETHERILL, In. 

